Chapter 91: Doubts
Gu Lan carried a bolster pillow to visit Song Yiniang.
Song Yiniang was lying on the red lacquered intricately carved bed in the inner chamber, being fed medicine with candied fruits by a maid. When she heard Gu Lan had arrived, she was overjoyed and quickly had the maid usher her in. She then made Gu Lan sit on the edge of the bed, pressing close to her affectionately.
Gu Lan gazed at Song Yiniang for a long time, her eyes growing slightly moist. "You’ve lost so much weight, Mother. Have you not been eating well? Ever since I heard about your strange stomach pains, I’ve wanted to visit, but the matrons guarding the courtyard wouldn’t let me in. Only after receiving Father’s letter today did I dare come..."
With Cao Ying and Huang Li standing nearby, Gu Lan naturally couldn’t address Song Yiniang as "Mother."
Song Yiniang glanced at the two maids by the bedside and calmly ordered, "You two may wait outside. I wish to speak with Second Miss alone."
Cao Ying and Huang Li exchanged uneasy looks—Mama Xu had instructed them not to leave Song Yiniang unattended!
Gu Lan sneered. "Do you refuse to obey the mistress’s orders? Do you want a beating?"
Huang Li quickly forced a smile. "Please don’t be angry, Second Miss. We’ll leave at once." She set down the medicine bowl, pulled Cao Ying out of the inner chamber, and shut the door behind them.
Cao Ying stared at the closed elm door panels, stomping her foot in frustration. "Mama Xu will scold us for this! What will you do then?"
Huang Li took her hand. "Don’t worry. There’s a small window in the inner chamber facing the west wing, hidden behind the carved bed. We can eavesdrop from there—they won’t notice!" She led Cao Ying to the west wing. Pushing aside a dense thicket of yellow locust, Cao Ying suddenly exclaimed.
"Huang Li, look! There’s a small jar here—hidden so well!"
Huang Li leaned in to see. It was a blue-and-white porcelain jar with interlocking branches, the kind used for raising fish, not the usual water basins the matrons used. Inside was some dark brown wormwood, though its purpose was unclear. Cao Ying sniffed it and whispered, "It’s medicine... The mistress must have been pouring out the decoctions we prepared for her into this jar..."
Huang Li frowned. "But these are all medicines to stabilize her pregnancy. Why would she secretly dump them?"
Cao Ying recalled the task Mama Xu had entrusted to her—something she must never reveal. She replied vaguely, "Who knows? The mistress was only pretending to be ill. Maybe she found the medicine too bitter..." The two maids fell silent, carefully prying open the window just enough to glimpse Second Miss sitting sideways on an embroidered stool.
Gu Lan first had Mu Jin present the bolster pillow to Song Yiniang, explaining, "I obtained this from the Affairs Office. Since you haven’t been sleeping well, this pillow is stuffed with soothing herbs to help you rest."
Ever since Madam Ji hanged herself, Song Yiniang’s sleep had been troubled. Her life had turned upside down after Madam Ji’s death, leaving her too distracted to cope.
Song Yiniang held Gu Lan’s hand and whispered, "...It’s rare that you still remember such things. But there’s something I must tell you... I’m not actually ill. I only pretended to have stomach pains so I could see you."Gu Lan was taken aback. Just as she was about to speak, Concubine Song quickly pressed her hand down and continued, "Those two maids are Gu Jinzhao's people. Listen to me first—I'm afraid they might barge in any moment... With me trapped in the Waterside Pavilion, there's nothing I can do. In a few days, use the excuse of going to offer incense and worship Buddha to visit the Song family... Seek help from your grandfather! Gu Jinzhao must have done something outside. I fear that once my child is born, she might really drive me to a nunnery! If you get your grandfather to back you, you won’t have to fear them anymore..."
Gu Lan felt a pang of sorrow and gripped Concubine Song’s hand. "You guessed right. Gu Jinzhao found Yu Xiang, who used to serve you, and exposed everything we did. That’s why it’s so hard for me to even see you now! Don’t worry, I’ll go to Grandfather soon."
Only then did Concubine Song understand why Gu Dezhao had been so cold toward her—Yu Xiang had betrayed her! Her expression darkened as she muttered, "No... In that case, when you go to your grandfather, don’t mention my situation!"
Gu Lan was baffled. "What do you mean? Isn’t... isn’t the point to ask him to save you?"
Concubine Song’s hands trembled slightly as she explained, "You don’t understand. Your grandfather is on the verge of a promotion. If I’m implicated, he’ll negotiate with the Gu family to keep things quiet and protect me. But since Yu Xiang has already revealed what we did, the outcome might be the opposite. He might... he might force me to hang myself to protect his reputation..."
Gu Lan was stunned. She wanted to ask if that was really possible—would Grandfather really do such a thing? But then she remembered that her grandfather had risen to the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—he was no indecisive pushover. Not everyone had the backing of the Gu family, the Ji family, and a respected mentor like her father did.
She squeezed her mother’s cold hands and reassured her, "Don’t worry, don’t overthink it. I’ll speak to Grandfather and avoid mentioning your confinement. I’ll only bring up Madam Ji’s death and your pregnancy... Once the child is born, we’ll invite Grandmother to visit you. That way, others will know we have support. I’ll gift her a string of 108 Bodhi beads—she’ll surely be pleased! Once your child arrives, we’ll have a chance to turn things around!"
Concubine Song gradually calmed down after her daughter’s comforting words.
The child in her belly was her only hope. As long as she could give birth, she was confident she could turn the tables.
What could Gu Jinzhao do then? She was just an eldest daughter in mourning attire!
She nodded and gave her daughter one final instruction: "...If you ever truly need help in the future, you can turn to Concubine Du."
Gu Lan frowned in confusion. "Concubine Du? She’s always been one to prioritize her own safety. Why would you think of asking her for help...?"
Concubine Song smiled faintly. "Oh, her? I have leverage over her. Just tell her that for Concubine Yun’s sake, she ought to help us—she’ll understand... Though she’s just a concubine, she’s still half a mistress. She can still get a word in when needed."When Gu Lan heard Yun Yiniang's name, her heart stirred slightly. The leverage Du Yiniang had must be related to Yun Yiniang... What could it possibly be? She had a vague suspicion but didn't press her mother further. If her mother didn't want her to know, it must be because such knowledge wouldn't benefit her. She decided not to inquire.
She removed the large green and gold brocade bolster behind her mother and replaced it with a sapphire blue medicinal pillow with gold embroidery, tucking in the last corner of the quilt before picking up the medicine bowl nearby. "The medicine has gone cold. Let me feed it to you, Mother."
Song Yiniang pursed her lips and explained to Gu Lan, "Gu Jinzhao brought in several physicians, but none could diagnose any illness. The day before yesterday, one came from Marquis Changxing's household, claiming to have treated the heir before. He conspired with Gu Jinzhao, insisting I was ill and prescribed a bitter concoction so vile even candied fruit couldn't mask its taste!"
At the mention of Marquis Changxing's household, Gu Lan's heart skipped a beat. "Mother, do you realize how prestigious the Changxing Marquisate is? I've heard the Marquis's younger sister is the Emperor's Noble Consort, and the Marquis himself has earned countless military honors on the battlefield. His heir was enfeoffed as the official successor early on, enjoying the Emperor's special favor... How did Eldest Sister manage to summon someone from there?"
Song Yiniang shook her head. "Who knows how she got in touch with them... Speaking of which, isn't Gu Wu Furen the legitimate daughter of the Changxing Marquisate? Perhaps Gu Jinzhao made the connection through her. You must be careful—don't let her establish ties with the Marquis's household!"
A sour feeling rose in Gu Lan's chest. She had only met Changxing Marquis's Heir three times, and each time he had ignored her. His status was so exalted that everyone subtly curried favor with him, not daring to speak a single word against him.
When Madam Ji died, he had come to pay respects—offering incense before withdrawing to stand like a pine tree, aloof. He seemed different from them all, never needing to exchange pleasantries with anyone. Instead, others had to address him respectfully as "Young Master Heir."
Recalling this scene, Gu Lan felt a strange twinge in her heart. Such a man... who could ever be worthy of him?
Song Yiniang instructed her to discard the medicine. "I never dare drink what they send. Take it behind the bed—there's a small window there. Pour it outside."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Gu Lan carried the bowl behind the bed to dispose of the medicine. Cao Ying quickly pulled Huang Li into hiding among the grass. Only after hearing the liquid splash outside did the two maids emerge.
Exchanging a glance without a word, Cao Ying and Huang Li hurried off to find Eldest Miss, recounting everything they had overheard to Jinchao.
Gu Jinzhao was equally surprised upon hearing this.
Du Yiniang had compromising information about Song Yiniang—what could it possibly be?
She had Qingpu reward each maid with a small packet of amber candy. Delighted, the girls clutched their treats and skipped away.
Mama Xu whispered, "As expected, the concubine refuses the medicine. It's best if Eldest Miss mixes it into the white fungus soup. Combined with the effects of the medicinal pillow, the child likely won't survive another fortnight. But if they summon Song Furen for support, I wonder what Eldest Miss plans to do..."Jinchao set down her brush and gazed at the copied Buddhist scripture on the desk for a long while before having Mama Xu put it away. She would burn all ninety-nine copies together for her mother later. Instead of mentioning Song Furen's matter first, she asked Mama Xu: "The Guanyin statue she requested was placed in the main hall days ago. Has she prayed before it yet?"
Mama Xu chuckled. "She's been too busy feigning illness and scolding maids all day to find time for prayers! The kneeling cushion has even gathered dust."
Jinchao sighed and continued, "Let's not dwell on Song Furen for now. If Gu Lan dares to invite Song Furen over, we have our own means to deal with it. If she thinks Song Furen can back her up, then we'll make sure Song Furen loses face! Once the deeds Concubine Song has done are exposed, the Song family won't dare protect her anymore. Even if she truly bears a son, it'll be the same outcome."
Mama Xu seemed puzzled. "If it's not about Song Furen, then what is Eldest Miss thinking about?"
Jinchao frowned. "...This matter is complicated. Let me think it through."
PS:
Thanks to Alya Weiwei for the reward, and to Fruit Fruit for the pink Mwah!╭(╯3╰)╮
Will be back at noon with the second update!
OpenNovel